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2 “Classic Road Diet” 4 to 3 lanes San Antonio TXIn most people’s minds, this is what is understood by the term road diet. We’ll discuss it, but show some other options.4 to 3 lanesSan Antonio TX2

3 Road diets: reclaim street space for other usesBike LanesMedianOn-street parkingA road diet typically reduces the number of travel lanes on a road, and dedicates the space to other uses. Road diets usually result in enough room to provide bike lanes, but that’s not the only benefit.Center Turn-LaneRoad diets: reclaim street space for other usesSeattle WA3

11 Case study: Edgewater Drive Resurfacing Project (Orlando, FL)$589,000 project scheduled in FDOT 5-year work planFDOT open to 3-lane option if City takes over jurisdictionChanges must be accepted by neighborhood and business associations; before/after studiesBeforeConcept

21 Road Diet — Before Pottstown, PAThere are many possibilities; a typical 5-lane can be converted to (next slide)Road Diet — Before Pottstown, PA

22 Road Diet — After Pottstown, PA3-lanes with bike lanes. Note on one side parallel parking was changed to back-in diagonal parking, much better for cyclists and drivers.Road Diet — After Pottstown, PA

23 There’s potential on one-way streets too: One-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuilt. In this example, most of the street is underutilized. This photo was taken off-peak, but it is the way the street looks most of the day.There’s potential on one-way streets too:Is this street operating at capacity?Boise ID23

24 One-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuiltOne-way streets have high potential, as they tend to be overbuilt. Many 4-lane two-way streets were converted to 4-lane one-way streets with no analysis. In many cases, 3 lanes in one direction carries traffic just as well. In this example, the street life came about after the roadway was narrowed form 4 to 3 lanes, crating space for bike lanes and wider sidewalks.Road Diet on one-way street: This area was recaptured from a 4th travel lane; the street took on a whole new lifePortland OR24

30 Roundabout design characteristicsSeparated sidewalk to direct peds to crosswalksSlow speed exitSplitter islandTruck apronLots of deflection for slow speeds throughoutCrosswalk 1 car length backAnimated. The red line indicates the path a vehicle travels through a roundabout. Start at the upper left and read items counterclockwise. Click to animate the red line just before you get to the “Slow speed entry” item.Urban roundabouts are designed for operating speeds of about MPH.Slow speed entry with yieldBend OR

31 Roundabouts are safer32 vehicle-to- vehicle conflicts24 vehicle-to- pedestrian conflicts“Results of this study indicate that converting conventional intersections from stop sign or traffic signal control can produce substantial reductions in motor vehicle crashes.”March 2000 Study by theInsurance Institute for Highway SafetyRoundabouts improve safety at intersections by slowing the speed of vehicles and reducing the number of conflicts. The Institute of Highway Safety issued a report in 2000 that studied the impact of roundabouts on crashes and analyzed data from 24 intersections that were converted from stop sign or traffic signal control to roundabouts. The “before and after” study found reductions of 39 percent for all crash severities combined and 76 percent for all injury crashes. Reductions in the number of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes were estimated to be about 90 percent. The report concluded that “Results of this study indicate that converting conventional intersections from stop sign or traffic signal control can produce substantial reductions in motor vehicle crashes.”8 vehicle-to-vehicle conflicts8 vehicle-to- pedestrian conflicts

32 Before After One pedestrian fatality per yearBradenton Beach, FL, Intersection of State Routes 684 and 789AfterZero pedestrian fatalities in over 8 yearsRoundabouts can serve as gateways and can help revitalize a neighborhood as was the case at this intersection on a state highway in Bradenton Beach, Florida which was claiming one pedestrian fatality every year. Since the roundabout was installed over eight years ago there have been no pedestrian fatalities.

49 Mountable Curb can be used by large trucks, emergency respondersFort Pierce, FL

50 Roundabout problems for blind pedestrians: This slides explains the problems reported by blind pedestrians, especially at multi-lane roundabouts. Note it has some design flaws: the tangents allow drivers to exit at high speed.Roundabout problems for blind pedestrians:Circulating traffic masks the sound cues the blind use to identify gaps and masks the sound of yielding vehiclesTangential circulating roadway, tangential exit => high speed (worse at 2-lane roundabouts)Towson MD8-5050